A 19-YEAR-OLD promising Limerick soccer player who drowned in a jet ski accident last year had given his life jacket to a teenage female passenger, an inquest has heard.
At the Clare Coroner’s Court in Kilrush, Coroner Isobel O’Dea returned a verdict of misadventure concerning the drowning of Wassiou Ayawe Moran at Lough Derg, Killaloe, on May 31 last year.
Ms O’Dea said that she was returning the verdict of misadventure as the post mortem toxicology results showed that Mr Moran had “very slight’ traces of marajuana in his system.
In a deposition, Mr Moran’s distraught mother Tracey told the inquest that Wassiou had only purchased his jet ski the day before.
The inquest heard that when he went into the water, in an area known as ‘Between the Waters’, Mr Moran had two female passengers on the craft and only one of the girls – who is from Limerick – was wearing a life jacket at the time, which was given to her by Wassiou before she got on.
A player with Limerick FC, Wassiou, from Limerick City, had never met either girl before the date in question and had been in contact with one of the girls – a girl from north Tipperary – via Snapchat.
Both girls were aged under 18 at the time and the Limerick girl told the inquest that when getting on the jet ski: “I got up behind Wassiou. I asked if there was a life jacket. He gave me his jacket.”
The girl said that her friend asked if she could sit between Wassiou and herself on the jet ski “because she didn’t have a life jacket”.
In a deposition, the north Tipperary teenager told the inquest that shortly after getting on the jet ski “when we went towards the bridge, he started doing tricks and doughnuts”.
Her Limerick friend said: “The jet-ski took off towards the bridge, it was going too fast.”
The north Tipperary girl said that the three fell off the jet ski the first time Wassiou turned the jet ski slightly, but all were able to get on the craft again.
Both girls in their depositions said that the young Limerick man said “hold on tight” or “hang on” before performing the fatal turnaround manoeuvre that had all three in the water again.
The two girls were able to swim to a nearby pontoon and the north Tipperary girl said that she could see Wassiou try to swim towards the jet ski in the middle of the water.
Charlie Hennigar, an eye witness, told the inquest that he saw the jet ski travelling up and down the water at speed and turn back, sending a wave towards the people on the pontoon
Mr Hennigar said the jet ski was on the water for about 30 minutes before the accident.
He said that he didn’t see the driver come off the jet ski but did see “one hand up and a head below the water” and the jet ski 10 yards away.
Mr Hennigar said that the male “was gone in seconds under the water”.
He said that a ‘fish finder’ sonar on his boat was able to locate the remains 16.5 feet down and he was able to direct divers to the position.
Mr Moran’s body was recovered from the waters at around 7.05pm and he was pronounced dead at 7.24pm.
The post mortem results concluded that Mr Moran died of asphyxiation secondary to drowning.
Mr Moran’s mother asked the coroner if there was any evidence that her son had hit his head.
In reply, Ms O’Dea said that there was no sign of any skull fracture and said “no – nothing”.
Returning the verdict of misadventure, Ms O’Dea said that misadventure occurs when there is an unintended consequence of an intentional act.
